Wire line cementing tool



Aug. 13, 1963 w. J. BIELSTEIN .WIRE LINE CEMENTING TOOL Filed Dec. 5, 1960 FIG. 4.

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FIG. 2.

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WALTER J. BIELSTEIN,

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,100,535 WIRE LINE CEMENTING TOOL Walter J. Bielstein, Corpus Christi, Tex., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Jersey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Okla, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 73,819 5 Claims. (Cl. 166--162) This invention relates to well' cementing, and more particularly to wire line apparatus for squeeze cementing wells in the earth.

In well completion operations, it is customary to cement either a casing string or one or more production pipe strings (flow tubings) to the earth formations through which a borehole has been drilled. The purpose of the cementing operation is to prevent fluid migration between production zones when two or more zones are to be produced through the same borehole, or between the. uppermost production zone and fresh water sands penetrated by the borehole. For any of a number of reasons, there may be an imperfect bond between the cement and the earth formation. For example, the mud or filter cake may have been imperfectly removed before the cementing operation, and earth formation fluids migrating to the well bore during production may have at least partially washed away the filter cake. When it is suspected that voids exist between the cement and the surrounding formations, it is customary to place a bridging plug in the pipe string,

perforate the pipe string and the surrounding cement above the bridging plug, and squeeze a quantity of cement slurry through the new perforations. The cement slurry remaining in the bore of the pipe string may then be circulated out of the well by means of a tubing string lowered within the pipe string. A similar operation may be conducted to seal 01f perforations to a depleted formation preparatory to reperforating at a higher level in a borehole to produce another, formation- In many locations it is undesirable to circulate out cement remaining in the pipe string. Under these circumstances it becomes desirable to lower the cement into the well on a wire line tool, squeeze the cement through perforations in the pipe string, and remove the excess cement from the pipe string along with the tool.

. In accordance with the teachings ofthe presentinvention, there is provided an elongated. mandrel having spaced-apart packer-members thereon, and a frangible member surrounding the mandrel between the packer members and afiixed to the packer members. 'The apparatus is constructed so that the packer members are movable longitudinally of the mandrel responsive to hydraulic pressure impressedon the upper member. The

apparatus is further adapted to be positioned adjacent preselected perforations in the pipe string. When the apparatus is so positioned, and hydrostatic pressure is applied thereto, the upper member moves downwardly relative to the lower member, breaking the frangible annular member and squeezing cement contained in the space between the annular member and the mandrel into the perforations in the pipe string as the packer members 3,100,535 Patented Aug. 13, 1963 cemented to the walls. of well bore 1 by means of a cement sheath 3. An elongated mandrel member is provided including upper mandrel section 13 and lower mandrel section 31. A fishing head 7 is provided at the upper end of upper mandrel section 13 for the purpose of receiving a wire line pulling tool to pull apparatus out of the bore of easing 5. Packer sealing elements 19 and 21 are afiixed to a packer end plate member 15 which in turn is fastened to the upper end of mandrel section 13 by means of a pin 16. Similarly, packer sealing elements 35 and 37 are secured to packer end member '33 which is fastened to lower mandrel member 31 by means of a pin 39. Ports 9 and 41 are provided in mandrel members 13 and 31, respectively, immediately above packer end plate member 15 and immediately below packer end plate member 33. A frangible cylindrical barrel 23 is secured to the lower end of packer member 15 and to the upper end of packer member 33 so as to surround the portion of the mandrel members 13 and 31 between the packer end plate members 15 and 33. A slurry 25 of fluid cement or a hardenable plastic fills the space between the frangible cylindrical barrel 23 and the mandrel members 13 and 31.

The telescoping mandrel members 13 and 31 are adapted to telescope between the least-telescoped posit-ion illustrated in FIG. 1 in which the apparatus is lowered into the well, and the most-telescoped position that will be assumed when upper packer member 15 abuts against the upper end of lower telescoping member 31.

The lower end of mandrel member 31 is elongated so as to provide a spacing nipple adapted to abut against a .bull plug or other obstruction in the well pipe to place lower packer sealing elements 35 and 37 immediately 'below the lowermost perforations 29 in zone 27. In lieu of the spacingnipple, .a-collar-latching device, such as is manufactured by Pressure Services Incorporated of Dallas, Texas, may be used. The frangible barrel 23 may be formed of thin glass or porcelain. The barrel 23 should be sufiicientlythin and brittle as to shatter upon applicat-ion of longitudinal pressure thereto.

A plug 38 is connected to the lower end of mandrel 31 for the purpose of sealing the lower end of the mandrel so that-upon application of pressure, an area differential in a downward direction will be assured.

In operation, the apparatus is inserted into the well pipe or casing 5 and allowed to fall with or without wire line attached until it is positioned opposite perforations 29 by the spacer nipple extension of mandrel section 31. While the apparatus is falling in the well, fluid will pass throughport 41, up the bores of the mandrel members 31 and 13, a and out upper port 9. Heavy hydraulic pressure is thereupon exerted in the bore of Well pipe or casing 5. Considerable longitudinal pressure will be exented upon barrel 23 by packer end member 15 and will shatter the barrel 23. The packer end member 15 and the upper mandrel member 13 will move downwardly as illustrated in FIG. 2, and cement will. be squeezed through the perforations 29. If the tool is dropped into the well in lieu of running on a wire line, then wire line pulling tool 47 (see FIG. E2) is lowered into the well to latch on to the fishing head 7 of upper mandrel member 13 to retract the apparatus from the well. When the cement in the perforations has set, other well'operations may be conducted or resumed.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modification of the invention wherein a plug 42 provided with a fishing head 43 is placed at the lower end of the lower mandrel section 31 and is affixed thereat by means of a shear pin 45. A suitable wire line running and pulling tool 49 latches on to the illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3 in that a single mandrel member 14 is provided which is permanently afiixed to a wire line 51. The upper packer end member 15 is sl1dably supported on the mandrel 14 while the lower'packcr end member 33 is pinned to the mandrel in the same manner as illustrated with respect to FIGS. 1 through 3. Thus, when heavy hydraulic pressure is exerted on the upper packer end member 15, the frangible barrel 23 will shatter so that the packer end member 15'may slide downwardly on mandrel 14 to force cement out through perforations 29. When the squeezing operation is completed, the apparatus is pulled out of the pipe string 5 by means of the wire line 51.

The apparatus is quite advantageous in that there is no requirement that the pipe string have a bridging plug installed therein for remedial cementing operations. Furthermore, there is no necessity for lowering a tubing string into the well for circulating out cement when the production pipe string is cemented directly to the walls of the well bore.

The invention is not necessary to be restricted to the specific structural details or arrangement of parts herein set forth, as various modifications thereof may be eifected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invennected to said mandrel and longitudinally spaced apart thereon, adapted to seal against the inner wall of'the pipe string, said first and second packer means and the mandrel being connected together to permit movement of one of the packer means toward the other packer means to a close-spaced position thereof; means, including a frangible annular member, connected between said first and second packer means and surrounding said mandrel to define with said mandrel a closed container for a cementitious fluid, said frangible member being adapted to be shattered when said packer means are moved toward each other; and

means connected to said mandrel, adapted to connect said mandrel to a wire line for lowering said mandrel to the depth of the perforations of the pipe string; the distance between said first and second packer means being greater than the total interval perforated in the pipe string so that said first and second packer means and said mandrel straddle the perforated in'tervalwhen the packers are in the close-spaced position thereof.

2. Apparatus for squeeze cementing in a well including a production pipe string cemented to the sides of a borehole and perforated to open up fluid communication with t a productive earth f-ormation, said apparatus comprising:

a-tu-bular mandrel; first and second annular packer means connected to opposite ends'o'f said mandrel and adapted to seal against the inner wall of the pipe string; container, means, including a frangible annular outer member, connected between said pack-er means aroundsaid mandrel and defining a closed annular container for a cementitious fluid, said frangible member being adapted to be shattered when one of said packer means is moved toward theother of said packer means; means connected to said mandrel for positioning the lower packer means at a predetermined level in the pipe string; and openings in said mandrel above and below said annular packer means for permitting'fluid communication through said mandrel between the portion ofthe well bore above the upper packer means and-below the lower packer means; said first and second packer means and said mandrel being interconnected to permit relative movement between said first and second packer means.

a of adapted to receive a wire line retrieving toolfor re-.

3. Apparatus for squeeze cementing in a Well including a production pipe string cemented to the sides of a borehole and perforated to open up fluid communication with a productive earth formation, said apparatus comprising: a tubular mandrel; first and second annular pack-er means connected to opposite ends of said mandrel and adapted 'to seal against the inner wall of the pipe string; container means, including a frangible annular outer member, connected between said first and second packer means around said mandrel and defining a closed annular container for a cementitious fluid; means connected to said mandrel for positioning the lower packer means at a predetermined level in the pipe string; openings in said mandrel above and below said first and second packer means for permitting fluid communicaton through said mandrel between the portion of the Well bore above'the upper packer means and below the lower packer means; said first and second packer means and said mandrel being interconnected to permit relative movement between said first and second packer means; and a fishing head in said mandrel at the lower end thereof adapted to be seized by a wire line retracting tool.

4. Apparatus for squeeze cementing in a Well including a production pipe string cemented to the sides of a borehole and perforated to open up fluid communication with a productive earth formation, said apparatus comprising:

bers adapted for limited telescoping movement between first an second telescoping positions thereof; first and second annular packer means connected to opposed ends of said first and second telescoping members, respectively, and adapted to seal against the inner wall of the pipe string; means, including a frangible annular outer member, connected between said first and second packer means to hold said telescoping members in said first position thereof and surrounding said telescoping members to define a closed container for a cementitious fluid; and means connected to one of said telescoping members adapted to connect said telescoping members to a wire line; the distance between said first and second packer means, when said telescoping members are fully telescoped, being greater than the total interval perforated in the pipe string so that said first and second packer means and the telescoping members straddle the perforated interval when the telescoping members are fully V means to hold said telescoping members in said first position thereof and surrounding said telescoping members to define a closed container for a cementitious fluid;

means connected to one of said telescoping members adapted to connect said telescoping members to a wire line; the distance between said first and second packer means, when said telescoping members are fully telescoped, being greater than the total interval perforated in the pipe string so that said first and second packer means and the telescoping members straddle the perforated interval when the telescoping members are fully telescoped;

and a fishing head within the'lower of said telescoping tubular members and connected near the lower end there'- trieving said apparatusfrom the well.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 True Aug. 23, 1955 Shidell Dec. 6, 1955 Greene Apr. 3, 1956 Huber Nov. 6, 1956 Eckel May 3, 1960 

1. APPARATUS FOR SQUEEZE CEMENTING IN A WELL INCLUDING A PRODUCTION PIPE STRING CEMENTED TO THE SIDES OF A BOREHOLE AND PERFORATED TO OPEN UP FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH A PRODUCTIVE EARTH FORMATION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A TUBULAR MANDREL; FIRST AND SECOND PACKER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MANDREL AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART THEREON, ADAPTED TO SEAL AGAINST THE INNER WALL OF THE PIPE STRING, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PACKER MEANS AND THE MANDREL BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF ONE OF THE PACKER MEANS TOWARD THE OTHER PACKER MEANS TO A CLOSE-SPACED POSITION THEREOF; MEANS, INCLUDING A FRANGIBLE ANNULAR MEMBER, CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PACKER MEANS AND SURROUNDING SAID MANDREL TO DEFINE WITH SAID MANDREL A CLOSED CONTAINER FOR A CEMENTITIOUS FLUID, SAID FRANGIBLE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE SHATTERED WHEN SAID PACKER MEANS ARE MOVED TOWARD EACH OTHER; AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MANDREL, ADAPTED TO CONNECT SAID MANDREL TO A WIRE LINE FOR LOWERING SAID MANDREL TO THE DEPTH OF THE PERFORATIONS OF THE PIPE STRING; THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND PACKER MEANS BEING GREATER THAN THE TOTAL INTERVAL PERFORATED IN THE PIPE STRING SO THAT SAID FIRST AND SECOND PACKER MEANS AND SAID MANDREL STRADDLE THE PERFORATED INTERVAL WHEN THE PACKERS ARE IN THE CLOSE-SPACED POSITION THEREOF. 